Part 38 (1/2)
”Somewheres round,” was the reply.
”How long has he been home?”
”A matter of two hours. He came home awfully riled, but he wouldn't tell me what it was about. What's happened?”
”We've met with a disappointment--that's what's the matter.”
”Did the pa.s.sengers get the better of you?” asked the woman, for she was in her husband's guilty secrets, and knew quite well what manner of man she had married.
”They found out our little game,” answered Warner, shortly, for he did not see any advantage in wasting words on his confederate's wife. ”Which way did Brown go?”
”Yonder,” answered Mrs. Brown, pointing in a particular direction.
Col. Warner tied his horse to a small sapling, and walked in the direction indicated.
He found the landlord sullenly reclining beneath a large tree.
”So you're back?” he said, surveying Warner with a lowering brow.
”Yes.”
”And a pretty mess you've made of the job!” said the landlord, bitterly.
”It's as much your fault--nay, more!” said his superior, coolly.
”What do you mean?” demanded Brown, not over cordially.
”You would persist in discussing our plan last night in my room, though I warned you we might be overheard.”
”Well?”
”We were overheard.”
”What spy listened to our talk?”
”The young man, Melville--the one traveling with a boy. He kept it to himself till the stage was well on its way, and then he blabbed the whole thing to all in the stage.”
”Did he mention you?”
”Yes, and you.”
”Why didn't you tell him he lied, and shoot him on the spot?”
”Because I shouldn't have survived him five minutes,” answered the colonel, coolly, ”or, if I had, his companions would have lynched me.”
Brown didn't look as if he would have been inconsolable had this occurred. In fact, he was ambitious to succeed to the place held by the colonel, as chief of a desperate gang of outlaws.
”I might have been dangling from a branch of a tree at this moment, had I followed your plan, my good friend Brown, and that would have been particularly uncomfortable.”